Zaifed walked around the street corner, the streetlamps illuminating the city around him. His silk suit glistened under the orange light of the flames. Farvale was fantastically lively at night, being the largest city in the region. The taverns and casinos were always bustling with activity, and he loved every last bit of it.
He stopped in front of a tavern, looking up at the door. Gently, he caressed his fingers over his jacket pocket. Inside was his handgun, something he carried in the event someone might attack him. Thieves and bandits stood around every corner waiting to get a taste of the fortune in his pockets. Being the son of the wealthiest man in Farvale wasn’t always easy.
He stepped into the tavern, causing the patrons to jerk their heads in his direction. Ignoring them, he took a seat at the bar.
“Can I get a glass of whiskey, please?” He asked the bartender.
“Of course, sir!” said the bartender nervously, almost dropping a glass from his hands.
Around him the patrons began to whisper among themselves. The attention didn’t bother Zaifed at all. In fact, he was used to it. It was rather uncommon to see someone from the aristocratic class in a place like this. The wealthy and noble of Farvale rarely choose to interact with the lower classes.
The bartender set the drink on the counter. From his jacket pocket, Zaifed produced forth an aurum, placing it in the bartender’s palm. Politely, the bartender nodded in gratitude. Soon, the patrons had gone back to their usual business, though every once in a while one of them would shoot a curious glance at the aristocrat.
“Well I’ll be damned,” said a voice from beside him. “If it isn’t Gino’s kid!”
Zaifed took another sip of his drink. “Do I know you?”
The stool next to him creaked. He turned his head to see who it was. Sitting on the stool sat a man of a stocky build with a face covered in patchy stubble and scars.
“Bartender!” the man called. “A glass?”
The bartender filled another glass of whiskey, placing it in front of the man. He lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip.
The bartender crossed his arms. “Are you going to pay for that?”
The man set down his drink and gestured to Zaifed. “The kid’s paying for it.”
Zaifed looked at the man, and then at the bartender in confusion.
The bartender looked back towards the man. “Sir, you-”
“It’s fine,” Zaifed said. “I’ve got it.” He produced another aurum from his pocket, placing it on the counter. After a moment of hesitation, the bartender nodded and accepted it, walking away to service other patrons. Zaifed looked back at the man, who now had a grin across his face. It was common for people to try and mooch off of his fortune, but there was something different about this man.
“I’ve heard you're quite the gambling man,” said the man. “A lucky one too if I’m not mistaken!”
He wasn’t wrong, Zaifed did enjoy gambling from time to time.
Zaifed set down his drink. “And your point is?”
The man chuckled. “My point is,” he said. “I was wondering if you’d care to join me and some friends for a game in the back.”
Zaifed drank the last sip of his whiskey. “What stakes?”
“Anything goes,” the man said with a grin. “Aurum, possessions, anything you please.”
That put a smile on Zaifed’s face. He loved putting his luck to the test. He let out a small chuckle before turning to face the man.
“I don’t see why not,” he said. “Let’s go.”
The man smiled and stood up from his stool. He turned to walk towards the back of the tavern, Zaifed following behind him. At the back of the tavern was a small room separated from the rest of the building. The air inside smelled of alcohol and smoke. In the center of the room was a table littered in ashtrays and empty whiskey glasses. Two other men were seated on opposite sides of the table. The man who led him back took a seat and gestured to the seat across from him, encouraging Zaifed to sit.
“Who wants to call the bet?” said the man.
“Ten aurum,” said man one, placing his money on the table.
Man two shrugged. “Sounds good to me” He said, adding his aurum to the pile.
The man who led Zaifed back grinned. “Starting small, are we?” he said, adding ten aurum to the pile.
Man two sighed. “He’s just trying to look good in front of the kid, boss.”
Their boss ignored them. “Zaifed,” he said. “You gonna place your bet?”
Zaifed reached in his pocket. “How does fifty sound?” He dropped fifty aurum into the pile, making the other men’s wagers look pathetic in comparison.
The boss let out a hearty laugh. “Showing off, are we?” He added more aurum into the pile, matching Zaifed’s bet, the other two men following suit.
Zaifed put on a smug expression, crossing his arms. The other two men looked at their boss, who still had a big smile on his face. He picked up the deck and began distributing cards. Zaifed examined his cards. As expected, it was an amazing hand. His luck never seemed to fail him, and tonight was no exception.
“I fold,” said man one.
“Me too,” said man two.
Their boss held up his hand, “ready?”
Zaifed nodded, laying his cards on the table in unison with the boss. As expected, his hand left him victorious. He smiled, taking his winnings.
“Not bad,” said the boss.
They continued to play later into the night. Everyone except for Zaifed and the boss had kept drinking, leaving them the only two that weren’t passed out drunk.
“Alright, alright,” said the boss, “How about I let you call the bet for this last hand, eh?”
Zaifed smirked. “This,” he said, pulling out his entire wallet. “Is my bet.”
Inside his wallet was at least a few thousand aurum. To him it seemed like simple spending money, but to some it could be an entire year’s wage.
“Are you out of your mind?” The boss said, sweat beginning to form on his brow.
“Maybe I am,” said Zaifed. “Are you going to match it?”
“No way in hell,” the boss snapped. “I don’t have that kind of money.”
Zaifed raised an eyebrow. “What a shame,” he said. “Guess I’ll just have to leave then.” His smirk grew even wider.
The boss was now sweating profusely. “I do have something,” he said, reaching under the table. He pulled out something the size of a small barrel covered with a heavy sheet.
“What is that?” said Zaifed, puzzled.
The boss grinned. “You’ll see,” he said. He pulled the sheet away, revealing a small birdcage. But inside it wasn’t a bird. Instead, there was a small woman wearing a dress the color of chocolate. She had small, white wings attached to her back.
“Is that…” Zaifed paused, rubbing his eyes. “Is that a fairy?!” He’d only heard about fairies in myths and legends and now one was right in front of him. What if he’s just tired and seeing things that aren’t there, he thought.
“Sure is,” he said. “I picked her up off of a shady looking merchant.”
Zaifed kept his gaze locked on the fairy, looking her directly in the eyes. He could see an intense fear in her eyes, and couldn’t look away. Normally he wasn’t typically a charitable person, but something about the way she looked at him made him feel remorse.
“I accept the wager,” said Zaifed, still gazing into the fairy’s eyes.
The boss nodded, sweat dripping down his face as he dealt the cards. Zaifed picked up his hand and took a deep breath. His hand didn’t look too promising.
“On the count of three,” said the boss. “One, two, three!” they slammed their cards on the table at the same time, shaking the cage and startling the fairy.
The boss looked at his hand and then at Zaifed’s, his grin melting into a bitter frown. Zaifed’s hand was just barely a winning hand, but it left him victorious nonetheless. Before the boss could do anything, Zaifed swiftly stood up, shoving his wallet back into his jacket and grabbing the cage by the top. The boss slammed his fist on the table so hard he woke up the other men.
“You little punk!” yelled the boss. “This can’t be right. You must have known you were going to win! You’re a cheater!”
Zaifed stood in the doorway, eager to leave. The boss stood up from his chair, reaching into his pocket. A gun. He was reaching for a gun. Zaifed panicked and ran out through the main area of the tavern, the cage held close to his chest. The patrons all stared at him as he ran for the exit. He scrambled out the door, violently slamming it behind him. He heard a gunshot from inside, immediately followed by the sound of glass shattering. The gunshot had shot out one of the tavern windows.
Almost dropping the cage onto the cobblestones, Zaifed bolted down the street. He ran as fast as his feet could possibly carry him, trying his best not to trip or run into anything. It felt like there was a fire burning in his lungs. Eventually, he stopped and turned into an alleyway, sure he’d ran far enough. He held up the cage, making eye contact with fairy. She looked shaken up, but her expression told Zaifed she felt just as relieved as he did. In the darkness of the alleyway, she emitted a faint golden brown glow.
He sat down on the ground, inspecting the cage for a way to open it. He noticed a small lock on the door. He set the cage down on the ground.
Zaifed stood up. “This might be a little loud,” he said, pulling his handgun from his jacket. She covered her ears and braced herself. He put his foot on top of the cage to hold it in place. Wincing, he pulled the trigger, shattering the lock. The fairy pushed open the door of the cage, fluttered into the air. She began to fly in circles around Zaifed. She stopped and hovered in front of his face.
“Thank you,” she said, a big smile on her face. Her voice sounded gentle and sweet, like a warm cup of cocoa on a winter morning.
Zaifed smiled back, not quite knowing how to respond. She flew away into the night, leaving a trail of chocolate colored glitter in the air. Without her, the alleyway went back to being dark and dreary. He stood up, sliding his handgun back into his jacket. Sighing, he set foot back out onto the street. It was late, and the street felt so quiet and empty. The only sign of life on the street to keep Zaifed company were the crows. The sun subtly creeped over the horizon, shimmering off the dew glazed cobblestones. His eyes began to feel heavy. There was so much action he hadn’t realized how tired he’d actually become.
He walked a few streets over, soon arriving at the inn. He much preferred staying here rather than going home to his father’s estate. His father had always been far too busy to talk regardless, so he never seemed to notice when Zaifed was gone.
Zaifed walked into the inn. “Room for one, please,” he said to the innkeeper, reaching for his wallet.
“Late night again, Zaifed?” said the innkeeper. He reached under the counter, producing a room key and setting down in front of Zaifed.
“Yup,” he said, lazily placing his aurum on the counter. He picked up the key and put it in his pocket.
“Are you going to want breakfast outside your room tomorrow?” asked the innkeeper, putting away the aurum.
Zaifed yawned. “That would be nice, thank you.”
He walked up the stairs of the inn. The worn floorboards cried under his tired feet. He found his room towards the end of the hallway and put the key in the lock. The room wasn’t much to behold, but Zaifed didn’t mind. A small bed with cotton sheets sat in one corner, and in another corner sat a small table. Lazily, he took off his jacket, shoes, and gloves, placing them all on the table. He walked to the window, opening it just enough to let in a calm breeze.
The bed felt soft under his sore body. He didn’t realize he was this exhausted until now. Soon, Zaifed could barely keep his eyes open, and fell asleep to the sound of the wind gently whispering outside.
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